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The Ross Ice Shelf is the most extensive ice shelf of Antarctica and isolates the underlying ocean from sunlight. Here the authors use multi-omics to unravel the phylogenetic and functional diversity of microbial life in this ecosystem.

ABSTRACT Electromicrobiology can be used to understand extracellular electron uptake in previously undescribed chemolithotrophs. Enrichment and characterization of the uncultivated electroautotroph “Candidatus Tenderia electrophaga” using electromicrobiology led to the designation of the order Tenderiales. Representative Tenderiales metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) have been identified in a number of environmental surveys, yet a comprehensive characterization of conserved genes for extracellular electron uptake has thus far not been conducted. Using comparative genomics, we identified conserved orthologous genes within the Tenderiales and nearest-neighbor orders important for extracellular electron uptake based on a previously proposed pathway from “Ca. Tenderia electrophaga.” The Tenderiales contained a conserved cluster we designated uetABCDEFGHIJ, which encodes proteins containing features that would enable transport of extracellular electrons to cytoplasmic membrane-bound energy-transducing complexes such as two conserved cytochrome cbb3 oxidases. For example, UetJ is predicted to be an extracellular undecaheme c-type cytochrome that forms a heme wire. We also identified clusters of genes predicted to facilitate assembly and maturation of electron transport proteins, as well as cellular attachment to surfaces. Autotrophy among the Tenderiales is supported by the presence of carbon fixation and stress response pathways that could allow cellular growth by extracellular electron uptake. Key differences between the Tenderiales and other known neutrophilic iron oxidizers were revealed, including very few Cyc2 genes in the Tenderiales. Our results reveal a possible conserved pathway for extracellular electron uptake and suggest that the Tenderiales have an ecological role in coupling metal or mineral redox chemistry and the carbon cycle in marine and brackish sediments. IMPORTANCE Chemolithotrophic bacteria capable of extracellular electron uptake to drive energy metabolism and CO2 fixation are known as electroautotrophs. The recently described order Tenderiales contains the uncultivated electroautotroph “Ca. Tenderia electrophaga.” The “Ca. Tenderia electrophaga” genome contains genes proposed to make up a previously undescribed extracellular electron uptake pathway. Here, we use comparative genomics to show that this pathway is well conserved among Tenderiales spp. recovered by metagenome-assembled genomes. This conservation extends to near neighbors of the Tenderiales but not to other well-studied chemolithotrophs, including iron and sulfur oxidizers, indicating that these genes may be useful markers of growth using insoluble extracellular electron donors. Our findings suggest that extracellular electron uptake and electroautotrophy may be pervasive among the Tenderiales, and the geographic locations from which metagenome-assembled genomes were recovered offer clues to their natural ecological niche.

Introducción: Las células caliciformes secretan mucinas, citocinas y antígenos específicos para la respuesta immunitaria de la superficie ocular. Las alteraciones en la densidad de células caliciformes y de su secreción provocan inestabilidad de la película lagrimal y, por ello, ojo seco. Objetivo: Se estudiaron las conexiones entre las publicaciones, las citaciones y las revistas sobre célula caliciforme y ojo seco, con el objetivo de analizar el tamaño de sus grupos y núcleo, y cuantificar el volumen de literatura existente para dirigir futuras investigaciones sobre el tema. Método: La búsqueda de “goblet cell and dry eye” se realizó en Web of Science y luego se analizó con CitNetExplorer® para obtener las publicaciones más citadas e identificar los grupos y núcleo de publicaciones. Resultados: 555 publicaciones y 3066 citaciones fueron generadas por WoS. Los años 2016 y 2017 son los que tienen mayor número de publicaciones. La más citada fue The definition and classification of dry eye disease: report of the definition and classification subcommittee of the International Dry Eye Worshop, de Lemp et al., publicada en 2007. Empleando la función Cluster resultaron tres grupos con diferentes áreas de investigación en este campo: ojo seco, mucinas y tratamientos. Conclusiones: El estudio de la célula caliciforme y del ojo seco es relevante para los investigadores, mostrándose además conexiones entre ellos. Aumentar el conocimiento de la célula caliciforme producirá mejoras en los tratamientos del ojo seco.

In 2020 the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic putting entire governments and civil societies in crisis mode. Around the globe unprecedented shortages of equipment and qualified personnel were reported in hospitals and diagnostic laboratories. When a crisis is global, supply chains are strained worldwide and external help may not be readily available. In Switzerland, as part of the efforts of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, we developed a tailor-made web-based tool where needs and offers for critical laboratory equipment and expertise can be brought together, coordinated, prioritized, and validated. This Academic Resources for COVID-19 (ARC) Platform presents the specialized needs of diagnostic laboratories to academic research groups at universities, allowing the sourcing of said needs from unconventional supply channels, while keeping the entities tasked with coordination of the crisis response in control of each part of the process. An instance of the ARC Platform is operated in Switzerland (arc.epfl.ch) catering to the diagnostic efforts in Switzerland and sourcing from the Swiss academic sector. The underlying technology has been released as open source so that others can adopt the customizable web-platform for need/supply match-making in their own relief efforts, during the COVID-19 pandemic or any future disaster.

The bacterial SAR324 cluster is ubiquitous and abundant in the ocean, especially around hydrothermal vents and in the deep sea, where it can account for up to 30% of the whole bacterial community. According to a new taxonomy generated using multiple universal protein-coding genes (instead of the previously used 16S rRNA single gene marker), the former Deltaproteobacteria cluster SAR324 has been classified since 2018 as its own phylum. Yet, very little is known about its phylogeny and metabolic potential. We downloaded all publicly available SAR324 genomes (65) from all natural environments and reconstructed 18 new genomes using publicly available oceanic metagenomic data and unpublished data from the waters underneath the Ross Ice Shelf. We calculated a global SAR324 phylogenetic tree and identified six clusters (namely 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D) within this clade. Genome annotation and metatranscriptome read mapping showed that SAR324 clades possess a flexible array of genes suited for survival in various environments. Clades 2A and 2C are mostly present in the surface mesopelagic layers of global oceans, while clade 2D dominates in deeper regions. Our results show that SAR324 has a very versatile and broad metabolic potential, including many heterotrophic, but also autotrophic pathways. While one surface water associated clade (2A) seems to use proteorhodopsin to gain energy from solar radiation, some deep-sea genomes from clade 2D contain the complete Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle gene repertoire to fix carbon. This, in addition to a variety of other genes and pathways for both oxic (e.g., dimethylsulfoniopropionate degradation) and anoxic (e.g., dissimilatory sulfate reduction, anaerobic benzoate degradation) conditions, can help explain the ubiquitous presence of SAR324 in aquatic habitats.

Nowadays, due to the increase in traffic accidents, research has emphasized the importance of vision in driving. This research aims to study the relationships between publications and their corresponding authors and identify the different research areas on vision and safe driving that have awakened interest in researchers. Web of Science was the database utilized for searching publications from the first paper published (1957) to December 2021, selecting the keywords: driv*, safety, and vision. The publications’ analysis was made using the CitNetExplorer, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace software. A total of 3,777 publications and 3,887 citation networks were found. In 2019, there was a total of 391 publications and 15 citation networks. The most cited publication was “Older Drivers and Cataract: Driving Habits and Crash Risk” published by Owsley et al. in 1999, with 76 as citation index. By the clustering function, five groups were found that cover the main research areas in this field: ocular movements, detection systems, road safety, and age. The citation network offers both, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the main articles. Being a multidisciplinary field of study, current research emphasizes the importance of eye movements while driving, the visual impairment in elderly drivers, and the new video-based detection systems.

Background: Visual and oculomotor skills are essential components of athletic performance, particularly in sports that demand rapid visual processing and precise motor execution. This study aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of the visual and oculomotor abilities of federated university athletes and explore their relationship with self-perceived performance. Methods: A total of 52 federated university athletes (34 men and 18 women), aged 18 to 37 years, participated in this observational and descriptive study. Visual assessments were conducted using the digital COI-Sport Vision system, evaluating static and dynamic visual acuity, stereopsis, vergence, contrast sensitivity, visual memory, hand-eye coordination, anticipation time, peripheral awareness, and identification. Results: The findings revealed patterns in the visual and oculomotor skills of this cohort, particularly in parameters such as dynamic visual acuity, stereopsis, and hand-eye coordination, which are relevant to the demands of their sports. Athletes reporting a higher satisfaction with their performance exhibited faster response times in visual memory (p = 0.039) and anticipation tasks (p = 0.022). These results suggest a potential relationship between self-perceived performance and specific visual skills, although further research is needed to establish causal links. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the visual and oculomotor abilities of federated university athletes, emphasizing the potential influence of self-perceived performance on visual skill execution. While the results do not allow for direct comparisons with other populations, they lay the groundwork for future research into sport-specific visual demands. Incorporating validated psychological assessments and exploring longitudinal designs could further enhance an understanding of the interplay between visual skills, motivation, and athletic performance.

IntroductionDry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent condition causing ocular discomfort and visual disturbances, often managed with artificial tears. This study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of eye drops containing Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid (CHA) with liposomes and crocin and standard Hyaluronic Acid (HA) for DED management.MethodsA single-blind, longitudinal study was conducted on 24 participants (48 eyes), randomized to receive one of the two treatments. Ocular health measures, including the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and the standard patient evaluation of eye dryness (SPEED) scores, were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks post-treatment using the Ocular Surface Analyzer.ResultsCHA achieved a lipid layer thickness increase of 1.29 ± 1.08 Guillon pattern degree (p < 0.01), FNIBUT increase 0.64 ± 0.77 s (p < 0.01), MNIBUT increase1.28 ± 4.74 s (p = 0.19), OSDI decrease 11.72 ± 6.73 score points (p < 0.01) and SPEED decrease 1.16 ± 5.05 score points (p = 0.27). Significant reductions in the OSDI and SPEED scores post-treatment were observed with both treatments, indicating their effectiveness.ConclusionCHA with liposomes exhibits superior efficacy compared to standard HA eye drops in the management of DED. These findings highlight the potential for personalized treatment strategies incorporating CHA, indicating a more effective approach to DED management. However, further research is required to validate these results and investigate the long-term effects, which may pave the way for a data-driven and optimized approach to managing DED.

Abstract Background Myopia prevalence has been increasing in the last decades, and its pathological consequences, including myopic maculopathy and high myopia-associated optic neuropathy, are now one of the most common causes of visual impairment. It is estimated that by 2050, more than 50% of Europeans and Americans will be myopes, which is alarming due to the high morbidity of myopes over − 6.00D. Once myopia has appeared, there are different options with scientific evidence to try to slow the axial length growth. Ophthalmic lenses are the less invasive treatment to control myopia, and there is evidence about the efficacy of different designs, mainly in the Asiatic population. However, new designs have been launched, and it is not known if efficacy is the same between Asiatic and European subjects. Thus, we have set up a randomized, controlled, double-blind, and multicenter trial to investigate the efficacy of a new design of ophthalmic lenses for myopia control in European children. Methods A 2-year prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled, and double-blind clinical trial is used to investigate the efficacy of a new design of ophthalmic lenses to slow the progression of myopia. Three hundred children aged from 6 to 13 years old will be recruited and randomly assigned to a study or control group. The study group will be composed of 150 children wearing MyoCare while the control group will be composed of 150 children wearing Clearview. The inclusion criteria will be myopia with a spherical equivalent between − 0.75D and − 5.00D, astigmatism

Background: This study aimed to analyze the relevance of different publications about microbiota on ocular diseases and their authors through a citation network analysis. In addition, the different research areas and the most cited publications have been identified. Methods: The bibliographic search was carried out through the Web of Science (WOS) database, using the following search term: “microbiota AND (vision OR eye OR visual)” for the period between 1995 and December 2022. The Citation Network Explorer and the CiteSpace software have been used to analyze the different publications. Results: 705 publications were found in the field of microbiota on ocular diseases, together with 1014 citation networks. The year 2022 was the year with more publications. The first authors with the highest number of publications in the microbiota on the ocular surface field were Chisari G, Chisari CG, and Li Y. This field is multidisciplinary, highlighting “microbiology” and “ophthalmology” as the main research areas. Publications were clustered into three main groups allowing the identification of the main research topics in this field. The principal was the composition and diversity of the bacterial community on the ocular surface of patients with several pathologies. Conclusion: It could be useful for researchers to choose suitable collaborators or projects to promote their research on the role of microbiota on ocular diseases, as well as to know the main research topics that are of major interest today.

BackgroundThere are environmental factors that may contribute to the onset of myopia. This study aims to evaluate the children’s lifestyle changes before and after the COVID-19 lockdown and how they can influence their vision.MethodsThe same questionnaire was administered to children aged between 5 and 7 in Spain every year in September before (2017–2019) and after the COVID-19 lockdown (2020–2021). All the children also passed a vision exam consisting of the measurement of visual acuity (VA) and determination of objective and subjective refraction. Children were classified as myopes, pre-myopes, or hyperopes. The cut-off points to define the refractive error were established according to the value of the spherical equivalent (SE): hyperopia (SE > +0,75D), myopia (SE ≤ −0,5D), or pre-myopia (−0.5D 0.05). Regarding the spherical equivalent, in the pre-COVID period, the mean value was 0.75 ± 2.09D and after the COVID lockdown, it was 0.47 ± 1.88D (p

Background: Different designs of ophthalmic lenses have been studied to control the progression of myopia in children. This study aims to evaluate the short-term efficacy of a new design of ophthalmic lens with asymmetric myopic peripheral defocus (MPDL) on myopia progression in children compared to a control group wearing a single-vision lens (SVL). Methods: Children aged 5 to 12 with myopia up to −0.50 D, astigmatism and anisometropia under 1.50 D, and corrected visual acuity over 20/20 were randomized to either the study group (MPDL) or control group (SVL). The myopia progression was evaluated by measuring axial length (AL) growth (IOL Master; Zeiss) over a period of one year. Results: Ninety-two subjects were recruited. Forty-six children were randomly assigned to the control group, and 46 to the study group. In total, 83 children completed the clinical trial, with a mean age of 10.81 [9.53–11.92] years, among which 59.04% were female. After one year of treatment, there was less AL elongation in the study group compared to the control group (0.16 ± 0.16 mm vs. 0.24 ± 0.16 mm, p = 0.034). Conclusions: The MPDL significantly reduced the absolute growth of AL by 39% (p = 0.014) and relative growth of AL by 37.3% (p = 0.012) after 12 months in comparison to the control group in a Spanish population.

Background: For many years it has been studied how eye movements influence reading and learning ability. The objective of this study is to determine the relationships between the different publications and authors. As well as to identify the different areas of research ocular movement.; Methods: Web of Science was the database for the search of publications for the period 1900 to May 2021, using the terms: “Eye movement" AND “Academic achiev*”. The analysis of the publication was performed using the CitNetExplorer, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software.; Results: 4391 publications and 11033 citation networks were found. The year with the most publications is 2018, a total of 318 publications and 10 citation networks. The most cited publication was "Saccade target selection and object recognition: evidence for a common attentional mechanism." published by Deubel et al. in 1999, with a citation index of 214. Using the Clustering function, nine groups were found that cover the main research areas in this field: neurological, age, perceptual attention, visual disturbances, sports, driving, sleep, vision therapy and academic performance.; Conclusion: Even being a multidisciplinary field of study, the topic with the most publications to date is the visual search procedure at the neurological level.

Background: The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between publications and authors. In turn, the different areas of research on the ocular complications of myopia are also identified, and the most cited publication by citation networks is determined. Methods: The search for publications is carried out in the Web of Science database using the term “myopia OR nearsightedness AND retin* OR degenerat* OR detachment OR patholog* OR glaucoma OR cataract OR machulopathy OR “choroidal neovascularization” for the period between 1978 and December 2022. Publication analysis was performed using the Citation Network Explorer, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. Results: A total of 9357 publications and 78,400 citation networks were found across the network, with 2021 being the year with the highest number of publications, 712. The most cited publication was “Myopia”, published in The Lancet journal in 2012 by Morgan et al. with a citation index of 1006. By using the clustering function, seven groups covering the different research areas in this field were found: axial growth of the eye; myopic maculopathy; ocular complications in patients with myopia after a surgery; glaucoma; retinal detachment; cataracts and retinopathy of prematurity. Conclusions: The citation network offers a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the main papers on ocular complications of myopia. The research on this field is multidisciplinary; however, the main topic studied is the axial growth of the eye.

BackgroundCOVID-19 spread quickly around the world shortly after the first outbreaks of the new coronavirus disease at the end of December 2019, affecting all populations, including pregnant women. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between different publications on COVID-19 in pregnancy and their authors through citation networks, as well as to identify the research areas and to determine the publication that has been the most highly cited. MethodsThe search for publications was carried out through the Web of Science database using terms such as “pregnancy,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “pregnant,” and “COVID-19” for the period between January and December 2020. Citation Network Explorer software was used for publication analysis and VOSviewer software was used to construct the figures. This approach enabled an in-depth network analysis to visualize the connections between the related elements and explain their network structure. ResultsA total of 1330 publications and 5531 citation networks were identified in the search, with July being the month with the largest number of publications, and the United States, China, and England as the countries with the greatest number of publications. The most cited publication was “Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records” by Chen and colleagues, which was published in March 2020. Six groups identified as being close in the citation network reflect multidisciplinary research, including clinical characteristics and outcomes in pregnancy, vertical transmission, delivery mode, and psychological impacts of the pandemic on pregnant women. ConclusionsThousands of articles on COVID-19 have been published in several journals since the disease first emerged. Identifying relevant publications and obtaining a global view of the main papers published on COVID-19 and pregnancy can lead to a better understanding of the topic. With the accumulation of scientific knowledge, we now know that the clinical features of COVID-19 during pregnancy are generally similar to those of infected nonpregnant women. There is a small increase in frequency of preterm birth and cesarean birth, related to severe maternal illness. Vaccination for all pregnant women is recommended. Several agents are being evaluated for the treatment of COVID-19, but with minimal or no information on safety in pregnancy. These results could form the basis for further research. Future bibliometric and scientometric studies on COVID-19 should provide updated information to analyze other relevant indicators in this field.

Background: Proper vision is absolutely critical to children’s academic performance, as vision problems can drastically affect learning ability. Currently, the existing literature in this field is somewhat inconsistent and carries several controversies about the influence of vision on academic performance. In this study, citation networks were utilized in order to analyze the relationship between publications and authors, the most-cited publication, and the different research areas. Additionally, the most commonly utilized publication sources along with the most common research areas were also pinpointed. Methods: The aforementioned search was executed in the Web of Science database, with a time range beginning in 1941 and ending in 2022. In order to scrutinize the publications, VOSviewer, CiteSpace software, and the Citation Network Explorer were utilized for analysis about the most-cited publication and the different research areas. Results: Overall, 1342 papers were found in all fields along with 2187 citation networks. Moreover, 2020 was the year with the most publications, including 127 publications and 4 citation networks. Bull et al., published in 2008, was the most-cited work, reaching a citation index of 975. The clustering function managed to identity four groups with the most engaging research topics from researchers: motor visual skills, visual memory, the influence of vision on the different learning styles, and abnormal development of the visual system. Conclusions: In the end, the topic with the greatest interest was the influence of visual motor skills on academic performance. Ideally, this paper will assist fellow researchers in quickly noting which topics are of greatest interest and how research in this area has evolved.

Background: Determine whether the presence of ocular symptoms in soft-contact-lens wearers changes depending on the refractive status. Methods: During the months of January to March 2022, the CLDEQ-8 questionnaire was administered to soft-contact-lens wearers. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 27.0 computer program (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 251 subjects participated in the study, with a higher percentage of myopes than hyperopes (82.1% versus 16.7%; p < 0.001). Out of all total participants, 21.5% suffered from dry-eye symptoms. It was noted that hyperopes presented a higher rate of dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.041). At the same time, the spherical equivalent was more positive in the participants with dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.014). Significant differences were found based on the symptoms present with contact lenses and the degree of myopia. The intensity of visual disturbances was higher in the participants with medium myopia (median [IQR]: 1/5 [2]) compared to those with low (median [IQR]: 0/5 [2]) and high myopia (median [IQR]: 0/5 [1]) (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Contact-lens wearers with hyperopia showed a higher rate of ocular dryness than those with myopia. In turn, wearing daily-replacement lenses could be one of the reasons for the lesser presence of ocular dryness compared to monthly-replacement lenses.

The relationship between vision and academic performance has been discussed for a long time, with special emphasis on visual factors associated with learning problems. The objective of this pilot study is to obtain an initial idea about the evolution and the impact of refractive errors on school-aged children. A visual examination was performed on 252 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years, which consisted of objective refraction, subjective refraction, and accommodative and binocular tests. No significant differences were observed regarding the refractive state when taking academic performance into account (p > 0.05). However, it was determined that academic performance was better among children with a negative spherical equivalent. Studies with a larger sample size must be conducted to verify the results that were attained in this present pilot study, and these must likewise look at possible ways in which strategies can be implemented in schools to reduce myopia progression.

Background: Nowadays, digital devices have become usual in children's lives around the world. Five percent of the children between 5 and 7 years old have their own smartphone and forty-two percent of them have their own tablet. This fact has produced a change in their lifestyle that can imply some risks, threats and/or opportunities. The light emitted by digital devices' screens could involve, among others, possible risks to children's vision.Methods: This study shows a detailed analysis of the vision of 7,497 children between 5 and 7 years old carried out in the “Annual school campaign for children's visual health” in Spain during the years 2016, 2017, and 2019. The study connects the results in the visual screening with children's lifestyle, taking into account both, the number of hours per day that they use all digital devices and the daily time of outdoor exposure.Results: The study shows that children with myopia have more screen time use and shorter outdoor activity time when compared to those without myopia (p < 0.01).Conclusions: Myopia in children is a public health problem and requires healthy lifestyle interventions at individual as well as at community level.

(1) Background: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy that optical coherence tomography (OCT) can add to fundus photography (FP) in assessing the condition of the retinal posterior pole. (2) Methods: We conducted two blocks of analysis: First, the posterior pole of each eye was examined using an FP non-mydriatic imaging device. Second, OCT was used in addition to FP. After consolidating the specific diagnostic criteria, the assessments were evaluated using two blinded independent investigation groups (by optometrists, and by ophthalmologists who were considered the gold standard). (3) Results: We calculated the diagnostic accuracy of FP compared to OCT and found that they had similar sensitivity. FP had a slightly higher specificity (p-value: 0.01), and OCT had a higher kappa coefficient with 0.50 (95% CI: 0.46–0.55) vs. 0.39 (95% CI: 0.34–0.45) for FP. (4) Conclusions: On the basis that the role of the optometrist in Spain is not to diagnose but to detect lesions and refer patients to an ophthalmologist, the results of this study support the use of OCT, which provided gradable images in almost all examined eyes (97.5%), compared to FP (73.5%). However, optometrists need a detailed and standardized guide in order to conduct evaluations according to the ophthalmologist’s criteria.